Still Knitting and Spinning

Although there has been a super cute interruption around here, I am still knitting and spinning!  Over the weekend I finished the fifth bobbin of Raspberry singles spinning.  This means I've got one more bobbin like these, and then three final bobbins that will each be about half as full.  I'm getting there!

Newton has seen the spinning wheel in action when Mickael brought him into the room where I was spinning.  (He doesn't have full run of the house yet.)  He was only allowed to watch and Mickael didn't set him down, but judging from the size of his eyes, he's really fascinated by it. 

I also finished the eighth block in Caleb's Sherlock Blanket, Tavistock Hollow.  I finished this a week or so ago and have actually started the ninth block, but it feels like it's taking forever to knit.  I have no idea why, and it might not be true in reality, but it feels like I just knit and knit and knit and get nowhere.

Since little Newton doesn't have full run of the house, it gives me a chance to spend some quiet time with Logan and knit or spin.  Logan enjoys getting me all to himself and I think watching me play with string makes everything feel more normal to him.  Even if he knows there is a tiny, pointy kitty who tackles doggy tails and walks all over him in the other room.  He's been an amazing big doggy brother!

I Present To You...

Newton Tiberius!  We're calling him Newton or Newt.  He can't be bothered right now since he is very, very sleepy.  (I think he's growing.)

Shhhhhhh...

Once Upon A Time

A couple of weeks ago I decided to make a blanket.  I picked out my colors and ordered them.  While I was waiting for them to come in the mail, I played around with the pattern using some stash yarn, just to make sure I understood it.  The pattern I chose is the Virus Blanket, and while I haven't found a chart for it (I really like using charts to double check my understanding of crochet directions), the pattern has a link to a very helpful video that cleared up some confusing parts.  I used some Malabrigo Mecha in English Rose for the "test drive" of the pattern.

Once the official yarn got here I was ready to wind it and start crocheting.  I used Malabrigo Rios in Sand Bank and Aguas with Squoosh Ultra Worsted in Mocha. 

My finished blanket is about 33 inches square.

Why would I make such a small blanket?  For our newest family member!

We've gotten a new kitten.  He's another Tonkinese, this time a Natural Mink color (for those of you keeping score, Ramius was a Champagne Mink and Maximus was a Platinum Point). 

We're still working on his name but will hopefully have one for him soon.  At the moment he's responding to Kitty Boy and Massive Beast (he weighs in at a whopping four pounds).

He's super loving and sweet, has mad ninja skills, and has everyone in the house in love with him.  Even Logan.  They've touched noses and sniffed butts (as you do), but he's spent most of his Logan time tackling Logan's tail.  Logan can't stop wagging and it's just too tempting for the little kitten.  Never mind that Logan's tail is bigger than Kitty Boy, he's going to eat the dog from the tail up.  It's got to help that Logan is 10 years old and super mellow.  He's also had enough experience with Max to know that kitties are pointy and sharp, even if they are fun to play with.  He definitely respects the kitty!

So now you know what's going on here at Chez Pink Lemon!  I'm obviously not getting a lot of knitting done, although he has seen knitting and was more interested in the bag than the actual knitting itself.

He seems to like having his picture taken, so he'll definitely be back here on the blog in the future.  I'll also let you know when we figure out his name!  In the meantime, stay safe and stay healthy!

Still on Track

I finished a seventh blanket block over the weekend!  This one was back to cables again and I really enjoyed knitting it.  The block's name was Winchester Road.  I haven't blocked it yet, but I also haven't blocked the previous two blocks - I'll get to them.  Even if I block everything right before I join the blocks, they will be blocked at some point.  (There are a lot of blocks in this paragraph.)

I haven't decided for sure how I'm going to join the blocks, but I'm thinking of crocheting them together and then working a simple crocheted border.  I probably shouldn't get too far ahead of myself at this point - I have a long way to go!

Yesterday there was some pretty big news around here - I finally got a haircut!  I was fortunate to have had one just a couple of days before everything shut down around here, but it's been over three months now and that's just way too long.  I had her take off almost four inches!

Have a great weekend and stay safe!

Finished Things!

I finished the James pullover and it's all blocked!  I ended up using the neckline from the pattern, which was not a narrow ribbed edging, but a rolled stockinette edge.  It was just the perfect, narrow finish to the neckline.  This means that except for the sleeve length I knit the pattern as written.  The sleeves in the pattern are 7/8 length and I prefer either long sleeves or 3/4 length.  I made these 3/4 length. 

The pattern was a nice, easy knit and I'm really happy how it worked out with my handspun yarn.  There's A-line shaping in the body and the BFL and silk really work well with this to drape and hang nicely.  I can't wear this anytime soon, but I'm pretty sure this will be in high rotation once it gets cooler.  (So, late October maybe.)

Speaking of handspun, I've finished the fourth bobbin of raspberry singles.  I've only got two more bobbins to spin this full, and then three final less full bobbins.  By weight, I'm past the halfway point of this spinning project.

Almost There

I've finished both sleeves of my James pullover and the last step is to finish the neckline!  I've even woven in the ends already.  I've got to try it on and decide what I want to do for the neckline.  The pattern calls for a narrow rib and I like the way the pattern sample looks in the photos, but I've also used single crochet at the neckline edge before.  The crochet edging is more narrow than the knit rib and pretty minimalist, so even though the sleeve and body hems are both finished with narrow ribbed edges, it doesn't look weird or stand out.  I don't like things tight around my neck or narrow necklines, so I've had to play around with different neckline variations in the past. 

Obviously, I'll be able to make all my decisions when I try it on, but first I have to get caffeinated and change out of my pajamas.  As you can see, today's To Do list just goes on and on!

Have a great weekend and stay safe!

It's Hip To Be Square

I've finally gotten back to a mental place where I can concentrate on more than just stockinette stitch and the occasional increase.  I've just finished the sixth block for Caleb's blanket and this thing involved charts!  This is completely unblocked and wonky looking right now because I just bound it off and photographed it last night before dinner.  I'm planning on blocking it and the previous block later this morning.  (For some reason I like to block them in pairs.)

This means I'm halfway through the blocks on his Sherlock blanket, but I don't plan to rest on my laurels here.  After I get blocks five and six blocking, I will be setting up the next two blocks in KnitCompanion so I can start another block later this week.  It only takes two or three evenings to get each of these knitted, so it seems to me that if I work on one each weekend, I can have the blocks finished by mid-July.  Then I can work on whatever else I'm working on during the week.

Before I can do anything else though, I have to straighten my sewing/craft room.  It looks like overcaffeinated squirrels have been in there having a party!